The Plantation Eagles boys under-17 soccer side dropped a pair of one-goal matches last weekend, losing 1-0 to the West Kendall Soccer Club Oct. 2 at Pine Island Park in Plantation and 2-1 to the Miami Strike Force Oct. 3 at Kendall Soccer Park in Miami.

Coach Roberto Mercados team now has lost three and won none in the early season of the Competitive Division of the South Florida United Youth Soccer Association league.

One mistake by the Plantation defense and one superb save by the West Kendall keeper made the difference in the first match. West Kendall scored in the 22nd minute when the center forward beat the Eagles offside trap, turned with the ball and fired a shot into the upper left corner. Plantation had a chance to tie in the 82nd minute, but forward Brian Velasquez shot to the far post was knocked away at the last second by the diving West Kendall keeper.

West Kendall held Plantation to seven shots, only four of them on goal, while getting off 11 shots of their own, eight of them on goal. The Eagles keepers made four saves in the match, two by Taylor Lorenz in the first half and three by Juan Vizcarrondo in the second half. It was Vizcarrondos first game with Plantation.

The Miami Strike Force match remained scoreless at halftime, with each team taking five shots. But Miami came out strong in the second half, taking the first eight shots, scoring on the fourth one in the 52nd minute. Strike Force made it 2-0 in the 69th minute when the right side of the Plantation defense failed to challenge a centering pass from the sideline. The Eagles keeper leaped to his left, but could only get his fingertips on the ball as it sailed into the net at the far post.

Plantation scored its goal in the 81st minute. Outside midfielder Matt Mobley took the ball down the left sideline, beat the defender around the corner and sent a pass into the box to a waiting Velasquez, who easily beat the keeper.

The center referee immediately ended the match, shorting the game by 10 minutes. Questioned afterward, the referee said both coaches agreed to the shorter game. Plantations Mercado said he was never asked to play a shorter match and never agreed to do so.

Miami held Plantation to eight shots, five of them on goal, while getting off 17 shots of its own, eight of them on goal. The Eagles keepers made four saves in the match, one by Vizcarrando in the first half and three by Lorenz in the second half.

Starting for Plantation against West Kendall were Taylor Lorenz in goal, Eric Gant at sweeper, Danny Ellis and Barrington Quarrie at fullback, Leo Caldeira at stopper, Jon Degia and Jeremy Weber on the outside in the midfield, Luis Alva and Miguel Galves in the central midfield and Matt Mobley and Jonathan (J.T.) Thiel at forward. Galves also was playing his first game for the Eagles.

Against Miami, Brian Velasquez started at forward and Mobley started at outside midfield. Ikar Ibanez started in the central midfield and Vizcarrondo was in the goal. Alva was unavailable.

Against West Kendall, Ibanez, Sean Conlon and David Lee came off the bench to play midfield, Davide Bombonato substituted at forward and Vizcarrondo was in goal the second half. Against Miami, Andres Osorio, Sean Conlon and Justin Wieland substituted in the midfield, Weber at defense and Lorenz in the goal in the second half. Bombonato did not play due to a back injury.

The Plantation Eagles next play the Parkland Predators on Oct. 15 at the opponents field.